Barcelona’s economy consolidated with sustained growth in nearly all sectors

Despite global economic and political uncertainty, Barcelona ended last year with GDP up 3.8% over 2023, which is slightly higher than the figure for Catalonia (+3.6%) and Spain (+3.2%) and nearly four times higher than the European Union (+1%).

This data is from the report titled Conjuntura de Barcelona 2025 compiled by the Barcelona City Council, which highlights that the positive economic progress can mainly be seen in the figures on the job market. Unemployment dropped in the first quarter of 2025 (-2.5% year-on-year). Additionally, Social Security affiliation saw a record high for March, with nearly 1,242,000 people employed and nearly 22,900 more jobs.

Tourism, which is a key part of Barcelona’s economy, saw moderately positive growth. In March, more than 700,000 people stayed at the city’s hotels, up 1.6% from the same month last year. In total, 1.9 million tourists stayed in Barcelona in the first quarter of 2025, up 3% from 2024, although overnight stays were down 3.3%.

Furthermore, looking at housing, the price of new-build options rebounded 6% in the last quarter of 2024. And in terms of used housing, prices have stabilised. Regarding rental prices, the new regulations in Barcelona seem to be having an effect, and average rental prices have dropped 5.1% year-on-year.

It is worth noting that the Barcelona City Council presented the Barcelona Impulsa plan in April, with €890 million through 2027 to create 180,000 quality jobs, diversify the economy and bolster the city’s positioning in strategic sectors, such as technology, healthcare, research, culture and green and blue economy.